


Hidden dynamics

by Madam_Violet



Series: The Vault Chronicles [27]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Domestic talk, Gen, The Vault (Doctor Who), and has an adult discussion with Missy, the doctor tries to be an adult
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 14:22:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14854427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madam_Violet/pseuds/Madam_Violet
Summary: When the Doctor finds Missy sulking because Nardole didn't buy her the dress she wanted, he realises she has no idea about the real world behind her doors.Basically, the Doctor decides to have an adult talk with Missy about money, his job and all the mundane things she doesn't have to worry about.





	Hidden dynamics

The Doctor was walking down the stairs absent-mindedly and almost bumped into Nardole. The cyborg looked rather crossed, which wasn't unusual. It had very likely something to do with Missy and was probably not worth the matter of listening to an endless rant. Seeing the Doctor would make her in a better mood anyway.  
In the Vault, Missy was sulking too, implying the argument had been a double-sided one, and she didn't win it. It wasn't surprising, winning against Nardole was almost impossible.  
"What happened ?" the Doctor asked cautiously.  
The Time Lady handed him a dark purple dress.  
"Nice dress, what's the matter ?"  
"It's ugly and I hate it."  
The Doctor sat next to her on the couch.  
"How many outfits do you have ?"  
"I've got the skirt and the jacket I had when they caught me. And a few shirts and underwears."  
"That's not enough. They will be soon worn out with the frequent washings. And your skirt must be pretty dirty by now."  
Missy shrugged.  
"Nevermind."  
"Listen, you're here for quite a long time. You will need new clothing one day or another. And I thought the 40s would still be a time period you enjoy for its fashion."  
Missy shook her head childishly.  
"I don't want anything from Earth that doesn't suit me."  
"I'm sure you didn't even try it on. Listen, you're settled and you have a lot of place, maybe you could start a collection of clothes from all the decades we're going to experience here."  
"I'm not sure I want to be reminded how many decades I'm going to spend in here." Missy said gloomily.  
"I understand. Listen, I know it's not easy for you. That's a lot of things to get used to, new place, no travels, less freedom..."  
"Are you teaching them the art of understatements ? because they could learn a lot from you."  
The Doctor smiled.  
"But you've got to make a little effort. Look, this dress isn't bad. It's your favourite colour..."  
"How do you know it's my favourite colour ?"  
"Don't play this little game, Missy. What I meant is that Nardole did his best to choose something you might like. It's really nice from him, isn't it ?"  
She shrugged.  
"Not really. He knows what I really like, and if he's not clever enough to recognise my style, then he should have asked me."  
The Doctor sighed, irritation slowly taking over his patience.  
"Missy, you realise what we're doing for you, don't you ? I took big risks saving you on Carnathon, and I'm not even talking about the loads of paperworks I had to achieve before I was officially made your legal guardian. I agreed to spend the next thousand years keeping you safe, and Nardole offered me his services to help me with the mundane tasks."  
"Blah, blah, blah. 'You should be more grateful, Missy.' ' Look all the sacrifices we made for you Missy.' ' You owe us your life, Missy.' Keep your sermons for your apes, Doctor. I never asked that."  
This time, the Doctor was growing angry at her. Sometimes she really acted like a brat.  
"You didn't say the same when you almost begged on your knees for my help."  
"You could have help me otherwise. Just setting me free and mind your own business ! It's not like you made a lot of efforts to catch me after I teleported myself out of the graveyard, and look all the fucks you gave when you left me on Skaro."  
Missy's voice kept climbing higher and higher and when she finished her sentence she almost broke into a sob.  
"I'm sorry for all of this, Missy. I messed up, I should have capture you sooner, so I can keep you under my watch."  
"It's not really what I meant..."  
"I know what you meant. But I also know my duty. Letting you on the loose would be bad, and I've been bad enough in this body. Now you're my responsibility and I'm going to take care of you for as long as it will be needed."  
Missy got up on her feet and rushed childishly to a corner of her room. The Doctor didn't go after her. She needed to learn how to react like an adult Time Lord and indulging her regressive behaviours wouldn't help. She finally came back, a bit ashamed of her lack of self-control.  
"Listen, Missy. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It wasn't my intention, but it still sounded cruel and patronising. I didn't mean to say you're a burden in any ways. I'm happy to have you here with me."  
"Of course, what's not to enjoy in a one sided power dynamic ? So, do you enjoy absolute domination over a completely helpless prisoner ? I knew we weren't so different !"  
"Drop the act, you're not a helpless prisoner !"  
Missy scoffed indignantly.  
"You can sugar coat as much as you want, we both know I'm at your mercy and I haven't got any rights of my own."  
She started crying again and the Doctor shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want Missy to feel like this because he didn't see it this way. To him she was family and every thing he was currently doing was for her, to give her a comfortable life with no worries.  
"Missy, I..."  
"Save your words, it doesn't matter anymore. In the end everything is up to you and lying to me won't change the fact I don't have any says in the matter. I can't even choose my own clothes."  
Suddenly, the Doctor felt all his irritation disappear at the realisation.  
"Oh, Missy" he said with a strangled voice. "I'm so sorry about that. You know, I can't use the TARDIS right now so Nardole picked out what he could find. Looking at the dress I can tell he did his best to please you."  
"His best is still not what I wanted. Couldn't you simply order from a tailor ? It wouldn't have been so difficult."  
"I'm not sure you realise we currently can't afford to pay tailor made dresses for you, Missy."  
Missy looked at the Doctor in confusion, and he briefly wondered if she had any idea about how the real world was functioning.  
"Since when are there things you can't afford ? It's not like if money was something you cared about."  
He laughed softly and she frowned.  
"You don't seem to understand I'm settled on Earth now."  
"It's not the first time."  
"No, but this time I don't have UNIT and their unlimited budget. I can't rely on anyone else than myself if I want to support both of us. I have a good pay check, I'm not complaining, but I also have to pay Nardole's wages. Luckily I live in the TARDIS and I don't have to pay a rant, so money won't be a problem as long as we stay sensible about it."  
Missy nodded and the Doctor smiled at her.  
"You know, I can look in the TARDIS wardrobe if I find something for you. Romana had some things you might like. But it won't be enough, you still need more clothes."  
Missy grimaced.  
"I don't want anything from your little pets."  
"I know. Nardole must have figured that out too since he decided to use part of your money on new clothes he chose especially for you."  
"My money ?" Missy asked with a frown.  
"Yes, Nardole and I decided the simplest thing to do was to put a part of the money I earn with my teaching position on a special account for you. This way there's no ambiguity between what's mine and what's yours."  
Missy stared at the Doctor with round eyes for a moment before asking the evident question.  
"How much do you put on my account ?"  
"Honestly, I have no idea. Nardole is the one who runs the finances. But I can tell you we both have equal parts. Nardole is paid a lot for an assistant, but he certainly deserves it. And I didn't see why you would have less than me since you're obviously going to need many things for the years to come. Nardole said you didn't really deserve that much since you don't work for it but I answered him to mind is own business."  
Missy stayed silent for a time, still under the shock of the revelation.  
"Why didn't you tell me ?" She finally managed to say.  
"I don't know, maybe because it's boring."  
"Does that mean I can do what I want with my money ?" she asked with twinkles in her eyes.  
"According to Nardole, you already do. Don't think knowing we have a budget for you means you can spend all of it in fancy requests. We still need to keep savings in case of problems, or things like that. I told you all those things bored me to death, and they probably bore you too. All you need to know is that I'm making sure you can live comfortably for the next thousand years."  
"I'm still not the one who decides" she said with a pouting face.  
"You are, in the end. You have much more power here than you think. We chose this time and place for its safety because you needed safety. Lots of our everyday choices, Nardole and I, revolve around you. And don't think we resent you for that, because it's what all families do. Working to keep each other safe and happy."  
"What's the point, what do you gain in the end ?" Missy asked suspiciously.  
"You still don't get it, but one day you will. It's not about gaining anything. I care for you, Missy, more than you think. I don't do all that because I have too, or because I have an agenda. I do it because it's natural, and it makes me happy. Being with you makes me happy and working to make this possible is worth it. Nardole cares too, not in the same way, but he still cares for you enough to find satisfaction in his job. You might not participate actively, but you're still the most important part of the team because without you there would be no team. And one day, I know you'll be able to pay us back. When you'll become good we'll have achieved our mission and none of our efforts will have been vain. And if you chose to stay by my side, we'll be a real team of equal partners. But until this moment, you don't have to worry or to feel unimportant. Just do your best to become better and better and try to enjoy your life as much as you can. In the end it's what every one in the Universe should do."  
Missy bit her lower lip and threw her arms around the Doctor's shoulders. When he felt hot liquid pour in his neck, he realised she was crying. Stroking her back awkwardly, he let her stay as long as she needed before she broke the embrace. She stood on her feet and walked away, taking the dress with her.  
"Where are you going ?" the Doctor asked.  
"I'm going to try this dress on. Who knows, maybe the egg has better tastes than I thought."


End file.
